Saturday, May 19, 2012

CAN THE EU SAVE ABU SHAHALA?

European Union Committee for Foreign Affairs chairman Dr. Fiorello Provera said this week that the EU was obligated to intervene on behalf of Muhammad Abu Shahala.

Abu Shahala was sentenced to death by a Palestinian Authority court for selling the Beit HaMachpela (House of the Patriarchs) to Jewish families in Hevron.

"Abu Shahala's conviction has no justification, and therefore the European Union will intervene to save his life," Provera wrote in response to a plea by Hevron's Jewish community asking the EU intervene on Abu Shahala's behalf. "It is inconceivable that a man who sells his house will be convicted of a crime and sentenced to death."

"The PA is the foremost beneficiary of a European assistance, so we must intervene interest and demand the PA immediately cancel Abu Shahala's death sentence. And, to remove the death penalty for the sale of property and land [to Jews]."

Provera indicated media reports in Israel had prompted EU Foreign Affairs chief Catherine Ashton to intervene on Abu Shahala's behalf – adding that European Union policy opposed the death penalty in all cases.

Provera concluded, "I call on the PA to immediately block the implementation of death sentence on Abu Shahala, as required by the UN General Assembly."

More than that is required: will they cut off funding to the PA - which costs a lot of European taxpayers' money? And will the UN suspend their status? Unfortunately, I think the UN is even less reliable on this than the EU is, and we can't count on them to do anything to help.